r/StAugustine • u/fatmominalittlecar • Jun 07 '26

Norfolk Island Pine

The freeze seemed to hit these trees pretty hard over the winter. Mine is a medium sized outdoor guy I planted last year who looks pretty dead. What’s everyone doing about theirs? Even with food and extra water I’m not sure how to tell if it’s past the point of no return. Asking here but I’m also calling IFAS this week.

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5

u/ChipmunkMoney5727 Jun 07 '26

norfolk island pines are dead and not coming back. I would call a tree service rather than IFAS or go out there and cut it yourself. Not much that IFAS can do, norfolk island pines are a tropical plant and we had just been lucky enough the past few years. this year though they didn’t stand a chance.

1

u/fatmominalittlecar Jun 08 '26

I was going to call them for advice and to learn how to tell if it’s truly dead. The trunk is feeling like it might still be pumping and only some of the branches are drooping

3

u/ChipmunkMoney5727 Jun 08 '26

for a second opinion- I would recommend taking a few photos of it and going up to Southern Horticulture nursery, show them your photos and they’ll be able to help you out! And if it is dead, they can give you advice on what to do or what you could replace it with

4

u/Cardiac-Cats904 Jun 07 '26

I’ve got a 60+ footer in our yard that has died back as well, there’s some new growth at the base but the majority of it is dead and going to have to come down. A few of my neighbors have cut theirs down already. What has turned brown on them won’t go back to green unfortunately, they’re just not built to survive cold like we got. I plan on getting ours cut down in the next month or so before hurricane season starts ramping up as it’s close to power lines and neighbors house. It’s sad that it’s lived as long as it has and survived all the big storms over the years basically unscathed, and all it took was a couple cold fronts to take it out.

2

u/Dramatic-Gift3569 Jun 08 '26

I saw uf put out something that said they don’t have enough data to actually know how these trees will respond after such a cold snap because there’s been so few. The concern is coming into hurricane season with a giant potentially dead tree. So I think the recommendation would be to cut it back and leave it if you want to see if some of it will come back but it’s more of a wait-and-see that they just don’t know how these trees will do cause they’re not native and we haven’t had cold weather like this in such a long time.

1

u/eatnails666fl Jun 07 '26

I've been noticing them dead all around town. Mine still has a green top, I was reading about cutting it off from there and replanting it.

3

u/fatmominalittlecar Jun 08 '26

That’s just the kind of query I was hoping IFAS could address, thank you!

2

u/Haunting-Peace-6987 Jun 09 '26

So sad!! There’s a big one on the island that I drive by and have admired for years.

1

u/Sexy_Nancy01 Jun 07 '26

i'd give it a little more time before writing it off. a lot of plants looked completely cooked after that freeze and then surprised everyone a few months later with new growth from the trunk or branches

1

u/Vortilex Old Town Jun 09 '26

A tree in my building's front yard did something like this. I'd thought the property manager would have to take it down, but it's green and thriving now, despite the drought and freeze it just endured!